Ex Issues

[Seth-Natali 0]

Long story short and looking for some info from the forums here at visa journey.

During a wonderful week in Italy last week Natali and I met and decided that marriage and visa application are something that is in our future. At this time she confided in me that she is worried about her ex and his local government position in Russia where she lives. Her worry is that he could possible cause issues for her k-1 visa application. In fact only her mother and brother knew of "why" she was going to Italy, this was so the chance of this guy learning of her involvement with an American would be minimal.

My question to the forum is: My thought is the k-1 application is a process heavily majority conducted in American institutions, Only info needed from her native country (where he could possibly have influence on) is limited and back ground info only. What concerns could we / should we have in this situation? Is there really anything one person could do to de-rail an application process from the partners home country? Besides medical and police back ground requests everything on the "Russian" side is at the Moscow embassy?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Seth

[JDV 0]

Long story short and looking for some info from the forums here at visa journey.

During a wonderful week in Italy last week Natali and I met and decided that marriage and visa application are something that is in our future. At this time she confided in me that she is worried about her ex and his local government position in Russia where she lives. Her worry is that he could possible cause issues for her k-1 visa application. In fact only her mother and brother knew of "why" she was going to Italy, this was so the chance of this guy learning of her involvement with an American would be minimal.

My question to the forum is: My thought is the k-1 application is a process heavily majority conducted in American institutions, Only info needed from her native country (where he could possibly have influence on) is limited and back ground info only. What concerns could we / should we have in this situation? Is there really anything one person could do to de-rail an application process from the partners home country? Besides medical and police back ground requests everything on the "Russian" side is at the Moscow embassy?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Seth

[JDV 0]

Hi Seth;

I seriously doubt her husband can have any influence over her immigration chances or with the American Consulate. So long as your documents are in order and she can produce a divorce decree you should have no problem.

Please pardon my cynicism but that she wants to meet with you in secret in another country throws up some red flags with me. Please proceed with caution.

Jim

[baron555 934]

Long story short and looking for some info from the forums here at visa journey.

During a wonderful week in Italy last week Natali and I met and decided that marriage and visa application are something that is in our future. At this time she confided in me that she is worried about her ex and his local government position in Russia where she lives. Her worry is that he could possible cause issues for her k-1 visa application. In fact only her mother and brother knew of "why" she was going to Italy, this was so the chance of this guy learning of her involvement with an American would be minimal.

My question to the forum is: My thought is the k-1 application is a process heavily majority conducted in American institutions, Only info needed from her native country (where he could possibly have influence on) is limited and back ground info only. What concerns could we / should we have in this situation? Is there really anything one person could do to de-rail an application process from the partners home country? Besides medical and police back ground requests everything on the "Russian" side is at the Moscow embassy?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Seth

If she has the certified divorce decree, then he can do no harm. She'll need that translated into English to give to you to include with your K-1 petition.

Do your homework, visit the Moscow Embassy website and join us at the RUB regional forum here on VJ. He can cause no harm!

[Seth-Natali 0]

Thanks for the info

Little clarity, not an ex husband, just a not very nice ex boyfriend. She has never been married.

I agree I do not think there is anything he could do. But she was just confiding in me she had worries.

Thanks for all the help it will go a ways in calming her fears i hope. I'm here getting all the info I can.

Seth

[Seth-Natali 0]

Jdv concern is noted. Reason for Italy is Russia is cold this time of year, my idea.

Also select people in her family know which I have personally communicated with.

But thanks for your input.

[Rufus2012 175]

Determined people can make trouble if they want to, and have the means. If she really fears this guy, it would behoove her to keep quiet about her engagement and even moreso about the visa process.

[shaka 11]

Firstly,he has nothing to do with the process,he can do absolutely no harm.Secondly,why is he supposed to know what goes on in her life now.If she is afraid of him I would keep it in the family-no girlfriends,no classmates,no coworkers,and especially no exes!!!

If he is some kind of freak he can harm her,but not the process!

She will be all right!

Good luck with the process!

[baron555 934]

My thought is the k-1 application is a process heavily majority conducted in American institutions,

Wrong......the entire process is conducted soley by US institutions.....no foreign entity is involved at all.

No Russian citizen can cause any trouble for someone being process by USCIS, NVC or the Moscow Embassy, no-one. You're just being very paranoid and need to get over this and be the strong man, that she will want you to be.

[slim 1,525]

I'm not even sure how he would find out about the process. There's absolultely nothing an ex-boyfriend needs to know. The only document she'd need locally is a police check, and that's already once the ball is rolling, several months from now. He shouldn't even know about this relationship.

As others have alluded to, this could be a red flag. Prepare yourself for "He won't let me get this document." down the road. If you're paying for exotic vacations (I hope you didn't pay for this one) and sending her money, don't be surprised if there are "complications" to the visa process. Things like, "He won't approve my travel documents" or "he's threatened to get me fired from my job" etc. It'll be like she really, really, really wants to come live with you but just can't. That is, unless you send another $500 so she can bribe the local ticket office, go to the next town over, and take the train from there. Whoops. The train was cancelled? Oh, must've been that pesky ex-boyfriend again!

Don't fall into that trap. I sincerely hope everything is copasetic but be warned. She's already set you up for being fleeced.

Good luck!

[visaveteran1 33]

It is hard to find a Russian woman without a "bad boyfriend or ex husband." There are some mean SOBs in Russia. What else is new?

So, I echo the concern here that this could be a scam set-up. The good news is scammers seldom actually meet you. If you can identify her and have her real address, etc. then the odds go down on this being a scam. But never send money...at least not until you are truly engaged to be married...but even then be careful. A few hundred a month can't hurt you too badly. Avoid the big money requests.

[slim 1,525]

But never send money...at least not until you are truly engaged to be married...but even then be careful. A few hundred a month can't hurt you too badly. Avoid the big money requests.

Fixored.

[SMR 368]

As far as what he can do, it all depends on who he is and what connections he actually has. He could theoretically interfere in the issuance of the police certificate. The odds of a problem in any US institution is obviously small. If he's just a jerk, your only concern should be personal safety, as was mentioned. If he's a well connected jerk, get the police certificate in the bag before anything gets out of the bag. Of course, the odds of problems are higher in small towns where corruption and connections hold more sway. In a big city, there is essentially zero chance of him doing anything besides simply attacking her.

[visaveteran1 33]

Fixored.

Slim, you're forgetting something...we old, fat, bald guys have to anti-up more than you young bucks, in order to get a Russian Marilyn Monroe-isque chick. It takes some cashola for them to accept our ugly butts in lowly matrimony.

But I agree, the woman should pony up some dough to get her azz over here. The first time my wife went back to Russia for a visit, I made her pay for her ticket. She's still bitching about that. I'm still smiling.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

I paid for all the visa stuff, and I sent her money for travel expenses like trips to her former university to get her transcripts, trips to Minsk to get documents translated, etc.. and I always sent her some money on here birthday and Christmas via Western Union. After losing a house, property, etc... through divorce, this wasn't nearly as expensive as my divorce. I didn't mind sending her a few hundred now and then just for the fck of it, and when I did send her that money she complained big time. It was a pride thing for her. I would send her the money without telling her first, and then I would send her the Western Union # via Google Talk so she would see it when she logged in. That money purchased a washing machine which she and her sister needed badly, even though she would never ask me for it, and it got her some killer looking clothes sent to her from a friend in Germany. It gave me some eye candy when I flew over there.

Edited January 9, 2012 by Why_Me